Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Alcohol Energy Drinks: What's the big deal?

Alcohol Energy Drinks: A cheap way to boost your energy and party all night or a potentially dangerous fad?

Caffeinated alcoholic beverages have been in the news lately, mostly because some college students have been drinking them and ending up in their local emergency rooms.

Why? For starters, people don’t always realizehow much alcohol is in many of these products (sometimes the equivalent of four or five drinks per can!) and are unaware of the potentially serious negative consequences.

As a result, the FDA has issued warnings, many states and universities have started bans, and some manufacturers have stated they will remove caffeine from their products going forward.

Okay, but is mixing alcohol and caffeine really that bad? Read below...

Top reasons why mixing alcohol and caffeine can be a REALLY bad idea:

Mixing caffeine and alcohol can increase the risk of alcohol poisoning. Caffeine can make people feel less drunk than they really are, leading them to drink more than they should.

Caffeine can also make a person feel more energetic and alert, tricking them into thinking they can do things like drive a car. Research shows that people who consume energy drinks mixed with alcohol are four times more likely to drive after drinking.

Mixing alcohol and caffeine can cause cardiovascular issues, such as making a person’s heart rate and blood pressure rise.

Caffeine and alcohol are both diuretics, leading to dehydration (and really bad hangovers).

Surveys show that students who drink alcohol energy drinks report suffering more negative consequences (hangovers, blackouts, violence, etc.) than do students who drink other types of alcohol.

Be safe. Always read labels.

A standard drink typically equals a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor, whether people have it as a mixed drink or a shot.

Some beverages, especially malt beverages and beverages marketed with caffeine, can contain much more alcohol than one standard drink.